Tooth.



M. E. MERKER.

TOOTH.

APPLICATION FILED OCT.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

W 04M. 771. Mm,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MELVIN EDGAR MERKER. or NEW YORK, N. Y.

- TOOTH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 17, 1913.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

Serial No. 795,700.

in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to artificial teeth and means for securing them in a users mouth, and the invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates the invention and forms" part of the specification ;-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a back tooth; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a metal backing therefor; Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view showing a tooth on each side secured to a saddle; F'g. 4 is a section showing'a modified connection; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a front tooth; and Fig. 6 shows such tooth secured to a natural root.

My improved porcelain tooth, 1, comprises shoulders 2 on its rearside at right angles to the tooth. In the transverse substantially horizontal sides of said shoulders are formed a plurality of small holes, 3, which extend in the direction of the length of the tooth. Holes 3 are preferably bored after the tooth is baked, and pins 4 of. platinum, or of German silver, or other base metal, platinumfilled, or of platinum-iridium, or other suitable metal, are inserted through the backings 5, into the holes of the tooth and waxed in position in the backings. The backing'is soldered, at 7, to the saddle. The teeth can then be slipped straight onto the backing, the longitudinal pins entering said longitudinal holes, and cemented therein. The teeth are not subjected to heat and cracking of the porcelain is avoided.

At the left hand in Fig. 3 pins 4 extend from plate 5 into the teeth but do not extend from the plate in the opposite direction. At the right in said figure the pins 4 extend both above and below said plate whereby the upper ends enter the solder and give increased strength. The backing 5 is of gold and may be formed to shape by being swaged or beaten onto the backof the tooth.

In Fig. 4 the longitudinal pins 40 in the horizontal sides of the shoulders are headed there being and the tooth is secured'to the saddle 6 by rubber or other suitable material, as at 7, in which the headed ends of the pins are embedded. The saddle may be roughened to increase the hold of the rubber thereon. In this form the backing plate need not be used. I

Front teeth being of less thickness than back teeth may be differently formed on their rear faces, compared with the described back tooth, to provide the desired plurality of longitudinal holes in different horizontal shoulders. A. front tooth 1' is shown in Fig. 5, there being shoulders 8 on the opposite sides of a central rib 9, terminating short of the end of the tooth thus forming another horizontal shoulder. Each shoulder has a longitudinal hole 10, corresponding to holes 3 described in connection with the back tooth.

In practice, on each front root is placed a gold or other plate 11 which is connected to a band 12 and to the central. or root-pin 13,

and the porcelain with its backing 5 are secured thereto by solder 14. The teeth are soshape d and the backings so applied that the outer ends are not metal covered and hence remain translucent. This is of special importance in front teeth as they look more like natural teeth, and no metal shows at the cutting edge.

By locating the holes and pins in different shoulders the tooth is strongly held at different parts in the length of the tooth; and by making the holes lengthwise of the tooth the latter can be slipped into place on the backing and pins, and the latter cemented in the holes as would not be possible with pins in a direction at right angles to the length of the tooth.

Having described'the invention what I de- I sire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An artificial tooth having on its rear side a plurality of shoulders transverse to the length of the tooth, said shoulders being at different points in the length of the tooth,

there being holes in said shoulders extending lon 'tudinally of the tooth.

2. An artificial tooth having on its rear side a plurality of shoulders transverse to the length of the tooth, said shoulders belng at different points in the length of the tooth, holes in said shoulders, pins in said holes, said holes and pins extending lengthwise of the tooth.

3. An artificial tooth having on 1ts rear side a plurality of shoulders at different there being other shoulders on opposite sides points in the length of the tooth, holes in of the base of said rib, and holes lengthwise said shoulders, a metal backing for the tooth, of the tooth in said shoulders. I

pins secured to the backing in position to In testimony whereof, I have signed this 15 5 enter said holes in the tooth, the holes and specification in the presence of two subscribpins extending lengthwise of the tooth. ing Witnesses.

4. An artificial front tooth having on its MELVIN EDGAR MERKER. rear side a plurality of shoulders at diflerent Witnesses: points in the length of the tooth, one of the HUGE W. ANDERSON,

10 shoulders being the end of a central rib, H. (J. Dom). 

